Energy Flavor
by sheepish91
Summary: Pique gets a new toy and then ruins it. Set in the "Emotional Motion" college AU series.


AN: Set in the "Emotional Motion" universe.

Summery: Pique gets a new toy and then ruins it. Set in the "EM" college AU series.

Disclaimer: This is a fan-made story for nonprofit use. Princess Tutu is the property of Ito Ikuko, animation studio Hal Film Maker, and ADV films.

Put your hands up in the air like you don't care no more

We gonna hit the town tonight

We were born to rock

-Let it All Hang Out, Weezer

...

It was the fervent beeping that awoke her.

Her hand knocked into the alarm clock that Fakir had purchased for her despite her objections that she was capable of getting herself up in the morning (and spectacularly failed at proving her point by sleeping through three class periods the next day), fumbling to find the snooze button without lifting her face from the pillow. She hit it several times, but the noise persisted.

She eventually realized that it was coming from her cell phone, which she was amazed to discover was still in working order after accidentally chucking it into the pond last Tuesday, cracking the screen and causing an abnormal glitch that had altered any text to read in Chinese.

"Hel-…lo?" she croaked.

"Hey you're up. I was calling for, like, twenty minutes. Come outside."

"…fwah?"

"Come _outside_."

"Pique?" She sat up and stifled a yawn.

"Who else would it be?"

"I don't-Pique it's…" she peered blearily at the clock, "…five a.m.?" That couldn't be right. "Why are you up at five a.m.? Why am _I_ up at five a.m.?" She felt irritation creeping in under early morning fatigue. Ahiru hated to be denied sleep.

"I'll explain if you just-..."

"We don't even have class until nine!"

"Ahiru, just-…"

"Professor Proft made me stay late and do an extra hour of exercises yesterday, I was really really _tired_-I didn't even get back to my room until nine thirty-…"

"Hey-…"

"My back still aches and I'm pretty sure I pulled something in my shoulder although he said I would be fine but it took me forever to get to sleep and I think I was having a dream about the bakery in town-the one with the cinnamon raisin bread that you can smell down the street when they make it? -and they were having a give away or something-…"

Her babble was interrupted.

"Forget about that for a second. Look, I got something cool yesterday. Come out and see it."

"But it's _early_."

"I thought bird's liked to get up early. Catch the plump unsuspecting worm, yeah?"

She frowned. "I'm not a-…"

"Yeah yeah I know just get out here already."

"Why?"

"I told you. I bought something."

"What?"

"Come out and _see_." Pique was surprisingly persistent.

"I don't-…can't it wait?"

"Noooo come out siiiide Ahiru.~ Please?"

Another muffled voice chimed in over Pique's drawl. "Do join us it simply must be seen to be believed!"

_Lillie?_

Ahiru had been out of bed and halfway to her dresser despite her protests, but the sound of the blonde's voice made her pause.

_If Lillie was there…_

"….Where are you?" she said, suddenly nervous.

"Look out your window."

She turned, and pulled back the thin curtain to peer down into the pale light of dawn. Below, Pique was smiling up at her with her phone pressed to the side of her head and waving a fingerless-gloved hand.

"Hi." Said her voice in Ahiru's ear.

Lillie bounced at her side in her brown trench coat with her hair teased out to an incredible height, somehow held in place by a thick headband. They were both leaning against something. An indistinguishable big and bulky shape of-something.

"Now come down."

…

**what she bought**

"Well? What do you think?"

Pique ran a hand over the seat of her purchase fondly.

Ahiru stood next to Lillie with her hands buried in the deep pockets of the gray sweater she'd hastily thrown on over a white tank top. She regretted not springing for something warmer.

"What is it?"

"I've been scoping it for two months and after working some extra hours I finally had enough money to get it. I was a few euro short and it took a little bargaining with the store owner but it was worth it."

Lillie smiled. "And what a wonderful thing that you managed to convince him."

"But what…what _is_ it?"

"A pink screaming metal one-way ticket to the hereafter." The blonde couldn't contain herself. She practically vibrated with joy and anticipation. "We'll call it 'the reaper'. Or something of that nature. We're between names."

Ahiru was immediately alarmed.

"I liked 'cotton-candy tornado or death.' It just needs a few touch ups. Maybe a fresh coat of paint or two but it'll be fine."

That was wishful thinking if anything. The paint was chipped and the headlight hung sadly out of its socket from a string of wires. One of the feet on the kickstand had snapped off so it leaned precariously to one side, threatening to fall over with the lightest push. Ahiru doubted the pile of misshapen scrap metal and worn tires that Pique insisted on calling a "scooter" would run at all.

She chewed her lip. "…Does your mother know you bought this?"

"What? No, why would I tell her?"

"…Because she wouldn't have let you buy it."

"Exactly." Pique would not let her excitement be dampened. "She'd have a colossal fit. Isn't it just the coolest little thing?" She rubbed her hand along the handles. "I need stickers. We should buy stickers."

"It will collapse right out from under you. Probably while you're out in the middle of traffic." Lillie almost whispered it, her eyes wide and glassy. Ahiru was worried that she was the only one present who seemed concerned with her friend's welfare.

"I-I don't-I don't really think-…"

"Want to see it in action?"

…

**what she did**

"No, I _really_ think this is a bad idea."

Pique was straddling the seat, fastening the clasp of a thick military helmet under her chin; the tips of her purple hair fanning out from underneath, her proud symbol of rebellion somehow clashing with the more dignified historical image of the headwear.

"Relax, I rode it last night."

"Oh do let her continue Ahiru! Maybe she'll crash and die in a glorious fiery blaze as it combusts! Or at the very least cause some significant property damage."

"Lillie stop!" This wasn't funny. This was serious. The machine already sagged under Pique's weight, and she was hardly any heavier than Ahiru, and Ahiru was as absolutely tiny as they come.

"Do you even have a license to drive this thing?"

"It's registered so I only need my driver's license, and I've already got insurance. I'll be fine. I don't go that fast anyway."

"But it's so…_beat up_ and-…" she tried to find physical a gesture to express her displeasure.

"Perfectly safe. You can come along if you want."

"Oh that would be something to see-!"

"No! No way!"

The only way to make the situation worse was to add Ahiru to the equation. Things tended to break in her vicinity.

"Suit yourself." Pique pulled down the goggles she'd bought weeks in advance in expectation of obtaining the scooter, because they made her look cool and legitimate, and her tongue pressed between her lips as she revved the engine.

It rumbled and died, and for a moment it looked like the scooter wouldn't start at all. But then smoke came pouring out of the exhaust and Pique pushed forward and started to roll down the sidewalk.

"Oh be careful be careful! Try not to lose control and speed into that oak tree!" Lillie warned, even though looked as though she'd rather like to see it happen. She stood on the tips of her booted toes so she wouldn't miss a moment of the anticipated carnage.

Ahiru rubbed her knuckles together and whined.

…

**how she crashed**

She'd been going along at a leisurely pace, turning circles in the courtyard. It was clear that Pique at least a little idea of what she was doing. She even rocked back and forth and took turns a little too sharply just for the pleasure of Ahiru's nervous howls.

In her defense, 'the animal'-too big to be a squirrel, too small to be a cat-came out of nowhere, appearing suddenly in her path for the sole purpose of making her swerve erratically from the shock and accidently rocket into a far less manageable speed.

Ahiru watched in horror as the scooter spun and nearly dislodged her friend.

"Oh no no no no no turn! _Turn!_" She danced in place waving her arms, her instruction doing very little as Pique was already caught in a spin.

"Tuck and roll!" Lillie sang.

"She can't Lillie she's spinning too fast!"

"Oh. Then hold on tighter! I'm certain you'll run out of fuel or…Oh! Go faster so the bike will tip over!"

"She'll get hurt!"

"She'll stop." Lillie said plainly.

There was no arguing with that.

Ahiru twitched at the hip without really moving her feet, indecisive as to whether or not running over would help any degree. True, throwing herself in front of the scooter might force it to stop or at least change direction, but something told her that Fakir wouldn't appreciate such a selfless feat. He'd often complained about the situations Mytho would get himself into in their childhood thanks to misplaced martyrdom that he'd had to pull him out of before he'd caused himself serious injury.

Pique finally gave the handles a desperate jerk that pulled it out of its spin and had her moving forward again: straight for the fountain with little hope of stopping before hand.

"Oh gawd."

There was a loud crack of cement as the front wheel hit the edge of the pool and the scooter sent its' driver flying over the handlebars and into the water.

She landed headfirst.

"Oh gaaaawd." Ahiru decided it was finally safe to lurch forward straight for the fallen girl; her oversized sleeves catching the air and flapping like frantic wings that she might have used to take flight and speed her advance. Without hesitation she jumped into the pool and pulled her friend into a sitting position, propping her head while making sure she was still conscious.

"I told you didn't I say oh don't be dead don't be dead I swear if you're alive you're never going to do that again we're getting rid of that stupid thing I'm serious why did you think this was a good idea _ah you're bleeding_-!"

Pique sputtered and spat water from her mouth. She blinked up at the frantic redhead, looking dizzy and sheepish-her mascara bleeding, a thin trail of blood sliding down her cheek. One of the lenses had popped out of her goggles.

"Well…good thing I was wearing my helmet."

Ahiru scowled.

Lillie had her phone out and was taking pictures.

"Ooooo turn so I can see your face! Is she missing any teeth?"

…

**what she decided**

"I'm not getting rid of it."

They were at a local café, Pique now sporting a bruised temple and outfitted with a butterfly bandage across her cheekbone, happily shoving a forkful of blueberry pancakes into her face.

"I told you, it just needs some modifications."

"You crashed it into the fountain. You cracked the hood." Ahiru grumbled.

She waved her hand dismissively. "I know a guy."

Lillie was flipping through the photos on her phone, a queer little grin spreading on her face. "This is wonderful. I got a shot of you slipping when the two of you were trying to get out of the water. Look Ahiru."

She leaned over and waved it at the redhead who ignored her, sipping on her tea and rubbing her thigh, which had been bruised when Pique had landed on her.

"I'll get ride of it myself." She muttered. "I'll drag it back to the junkyard where you got it."

"Oh you mustn't do that. It's got too much entertainment potential." Lillie tapped the side of the screen. "I'm going to make a website."

"I'm not helping you." Ahiru said staring down into the glass clasped in her hands. "It's possessed. That's probably why they dumped it on you. It's…evil." She said it with half-hearted severity.

Pique wasn't listening; chewing on the fork with her head tilted in thought. "Bet I can get it off of some jumps." She had butter dripping down her chin and wiped it absently with the back of her shirtsleeve. "We'll…we'll set up a ramp and put a shark in the fountain. Ooh! We can charge people to watch so we can pay for accessories and future repairs. Lillie-"

"On it." Lillie whipped out her phone, dialing with inhuman speed.

Ahiru rested her face in her hands, shaking her head back and forth. Her voice came out in a breathy whine. "I hope…I hope you…crash or…or something. I hope the shark eats you. I hope you're shark bait. And I won't visit you. I'll leave you in the hospital and won't help you catch-up on your homework an'…"

"Oui ? Prince des taureaux ? Écoutez-vous moi ? Yes, Nous avons besoin d'un requin. As soon as possible. It's for a project. Il est brillant." Lillie spoke to her phone.

Pique flagged their waitress, waving an empty glass. "Yeah, can I get a refill on the orange juice? Hey by the way Ahiru, can you spot me breakfast? My banknotes 'er wet."

-End.-


End file.
